Finding the Pieces
by Eriks leadinglady
Summary: JxL. Lisa meets an unexpected and unwanted visitor while vacationing in Italy. Suddenly, she is thrown back into a world of terror that she thought she had escaped.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: well... here I go again with another story... I watched Red Eye and what can I say? Inspiration. Please review and let me know if you like it. If I am to continue, I will need lots of reviews! So you like? Then review! Well, please enjoy! Thxs!**

**Chapter 1**

Lisa stood behind the counter at the Lux Atlanta, fulfilling her usual job. It had been three months since the Red Eye flight, since her run in with Jackson Rippner, and her multiple near death experiences. Life had never been the same. She had become distant, antisocial, paranoid, and she rarely ate anything. To be honest, it really scared her. She knew that she was changing, and not for the better, but it felt as though she could do nothing about it.

Her job was her life, and she hated it. She hated how she was always caught up in the customers' problems and could never really focus on her own life, on _her_. It was as though she could barely feel, as though she could barely even think on her own. She felt like a lost child, with no one to take of her.

Lisa sighed. She often had these thoughts, sometimes accompanied with vicious images of her bad memories.

She absently logged onto the computer, entering the customers name into the computer in order to receive their room. This customer, Kim Honth, was just like all the others: rude and impatient, just eager to get to her room. People were pushy, which Lisa had learned to accept. They were how they were, and somehow, above everything else, she had learned to cope with that.

_Why is it so easy for me to handle other people_, she thought sourly to herself, _when I can't even handle myself_?

As she handed the customer the room key accompanied by her regular, fake smile, she wondered how much longer she could take this for. How much longer could she deal with other people's problems, just to avoid her own? She knew it wasn't healthy, that she should talk to somebody, but there was no one.

Yes, her father Joe was there, but she felt that he had enough problems on his hands. Work with him was busy, and she didn't want to burden him with her problems, let alone make him worry.

Then there was Cynthia, her coworker and possibly her only friend. Lisa knew that Cynthia would listen and do anything in her power to help, but it seemed useless to Lisa.

After her other experience out in the parking lot, where she was... attacked, she had talked to people. She had seen a therapist and had confided in her father. Neither or those things helped. It was Lisa who helped Lisa, not some shrink, or her father, as much as he tried. She was the one who built up her defenses, her walls to protect herself. Inside was where she found the most sanctitude.

But lately, she had been crumbling. All her walls and defenses were failing and she didn't know what to do, where to turn to. Who was there to help her? It seemed as though Lisa Reisert was really dead, but of course, not in the literal sense.

Lisa knew that she needed a change, something different to occupy her mind. Her job, her family, her coworkers, they were only reminding her of all her bad memories. She felt like she needed to make new memories, good memories, where Jackson Rippner did not exist.

_Jack…_ Lisa thought slowly.

She had tried her hardest over the past few months to not think about him, but try as she might, it was impossible. He was the cause of her pain, and he hated him for it. He ruined everything that she had built, everything that she had fought so hard to get; ruined… everything.

That was why she needed a vacation.

Behind the desk, Lisa noticed a picture tucked away safely behind a file. It was a picture of Venice, Italy, the river winding through its' ancient buildings. It looked so beautiful to Lisa, so peaceful… she wished that she could be there right now, away from the madness that was her life.

Then it hit her. _She could go to Italy. She could live that dream._

Her eyes lit up at the idea, truly charmed by the fact that she could go to Italy for at least a month. Suddenly she felt the urge to ask right away.

"Cynthia," she whispered to her friend who was working the desk next to her.

"Yea, Lisa?" she responded, looking over at her friend.

"Could you take over for a moment, please? I need to go speak with our boss," Lisa asked hopefully.

Cynthia nodded her agreement, and so Lisa went as quickly as she could to the managers' office. When she got there, she tapped lightly on the door, just to be sure she wouldn't intrude. She heard the "Yes?" on the other side, and so she gingerly opened up the door and stepped inside.

"Excuse me, Mr. Winman?" Lisa asked politely, standing before her seated boss.

"Yes, Ms. Resiert?" he questioned.

"I was just wondering if I could take a few weeks off, a month perhaps." She saw the skeptical look on his face. "Just to clear my head. You know I've been distracted and I just... need a vacation."

Mr. Winman stood from his desk. "Ms. Reisert, you know that I respect any and all of your decisions." Lisa nodded her head dumbly. "And I really think that you should take this vacation. God knows you need it; after all you've been through? I'll give you all the time you need."

Lisa smiled. "Thank you so much, Mr.Winman. I swear that when I come back I'll work extra hard and…"

Mr. Winman pushed her out the door and said, "Don't you worry about a thing. Just relax and have a good time."

She could only smile before her boss closed the door in her face. Inside, Lisa was actually very excited, the most she had been in an extremely long time. She could not wait to tell her father.

The rest of the day at work, Lisa was beaming and could endure the two hours left of work with great ease. She knew that she would not have to work again for a long time, and so she tried to enjoy every minute of it.

At last her shift was over, and she climbed into her Miata and drove back to her apartment. Once inside, seeing that it was still only 9 at night, she decided to call her dad right away and tell him the good news.

She dialed his number into her home phone and immediately heard the familiar ring. "Hello?" the other side said.

"Hi daddy," she said sweetly.

"Oh hello, darling. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have some really good news."

"Oh?"

"My boss agreed to let me go on vacation for at least a month!" she said excitedly into the phone. "I'm going to Italy!"

"That's wonderful darling!" her father replied. Lisa could tell that he was really excited for her by the way his voice raised. "When do you leave?"

"Two days from now."

"Oh my, how fantastic!"

"I know, dad!"

"Well is that all the news?"

"Yea, it is," responded Lisa. "I thought you might like to know, even though it is a little late for you."

"I am so glad you called Lisa," her father said. "I hope you have a very nice trip."

"Me too. Call you soon?" wondered Lisa, although she already knew the answer.

"Please do, sweetie. Talk to you soon."

"Okay, bye dad," finished Lisa as she hung up the phone.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her excitement. She was going to Italy, and she would have a good time. No matter what, Lisa swore to herself, she would have a good time.

_Even if Jack showed up,_ she joked. _I would still have fun_.

Little did she know just how literal that statement would be.

**it is a fanfiction sin to read and not review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you all sooo much for the great feedback! I hope you all continue to enjoy my story and please let me know what you think! Thxs!**

**Chapter 2**

_**2 pm: Hotel Dimora Veneziana**_

Jack lounged in the small waiting area of his hotel, sipping his coffee. His dark sunglasses were upon his face, as well as a baseball cap, for that all around tourist look. And truthfully, he really did look like a tourist, not at all like the deadly assassin that he really was. Basically, he was unrecognizable to anyone that ever knew him, for Jackson Rippner never wore _baseball caps_.

Jack took a deep breath as he plopped his feet onto the coffee table in front of, reclining back onto the couch even more. This was taking too long. His target of the moment was a Venetian assassin who worked with a rivalry company to his organization. This man was a very well trained assassin and said to be very deadly, even though he was young.

This assignment for Jack was considered make-up for his previous failure. At least, it was just the beginning of it. All of his upcoming assignments were extremely difficult men to catch, as they were all highly trained assassins, just like himself. No other person in Jack's organization would take these jobs, because of the high death factor, and so they were all thrown at Jack, who had no say in the matter.

But, of course, Jack knew that he would complete them all. He could not, would not fail, and he would never slip up again like he had with Lisa Reisert.

Honestly, Jack had no idea how he had let her get the better of him. She was just an untrained girl with no skill whatsoever. Yes, she was feisty, Jack would give her that, but she was nothing compared to him! Yet, there she was, defeating a man who had been killing since he was ten.

Just thinking about the past made Jackson furious, and he tightened his hand into fists until his knuckles turned white.

At that moment, the target walked through the door and Jack sat up a little in his seat, although not removing his feet from the table. There he was, the 20 year-old male, 6'0 with shaggy brown hair. Known as "the Reaper." Real name Travis O'Harper.

Jack eyed him over, trying to determine his technique and how much trouble he would be. He was tall, yes, strong, yes, but smart? _Hell no_, thought Jack. Looking around the kid, Jack tried to determine how many groupies he had. From what Jack could see, there were two of them… no, wait, five other men.

A smirk lit Jackson's face. This was going to be fun.

He watched silently as O'Harper approached the counter, receiving his room key from the receptionist. As he did so, Jack reached up to his sunglasses and pushed a tiny button on the side. Immediately his view zoomed in.

_756._

That was where O'Harper was staying, and that was where he would be murdered later that night.

Jack kept watching the man as he strode past his seat and into the elevator. When they were gone, Jack rose from his seat and went into the bar across the hall. Once there he purchased a bottle of red wine and then went over to the receptionist.

"Excuse me?" he asked politely as he smiled.

"Yes?" the woman responded kindly.

He gestured to the bottle in his hand as he spoke. "Could you please send this up to room 756 please? They're celebrating something very important and I wanted to give them a little something."

The receptionist gladly nodded her consent as she took the bottle from him. "It will be sent right away sir."

"Thank you," Jack said as he turned and walked away from the counter, resuming his previous seat.

It would only be a matter of time before he could move in on his unsuspecting prey. And it would be such an cinch. After all, who could resist red wine? Especially an alcoholic.

_**10 pm: Hotel Dimora Veneziana**_

Jackson glanced at his watch as he relaxed on the bed in his room.

_10 o'clock_, he thought to himself. _Showtime._

Gingerly he rose from his seat and walked out the door into the deserted hallway. He looked at the room numbers around him, noting that he was already on the right floor, ready for action.

_734…_

He kept on walking and walking, looking at each number as he went by, fingering his knife and rope that he held as he did so. With each step that he took, he was getting even more and more excited, ecstatic about the kill that he would be making in less than 5 minutes.

_756…_

At last he was finally there, standing outside of the door of his victim, staring at the gold plated number. Suddenly, his face grew dark as he set his face in hard concentration, and with the key that he had easily snuck from the Venetian's pocket earlier when he passed, he opened the door rather easily. The men in the room were lying on their beds; seemingly passed out from their alcohol present that he had sent them.

Slowly Jack approached each of them, using his rope to strangle them to death. This way was easier for then the police would think that they had gotten alcohol poisoning or some other thing. The police never really did autopsies, for with drunken men like this, nobody really cared. They were dead and nobody would really miss them.

Jack continued onwards in his kill until he finally came over to his target, Mr. O'Harper. Jackson stared at his face, passed out like a light, and thought him to be a despicable creature and assassin. Who drinks on the job?

Just as Jack was about to finish him off like the others, the Venetian's eyes opened wide as he jump up and onto his feet, stumbling slightly. The man was drunk, but not passed out like the others were.

"Jackson… Rippner…" the man stuttered out as he teetered on his balance. "What... a … pleasure…"

Jack only stood there smiling smartly at the victim, who had his hands up, ready to fight. Twisting backwards in a sort of pitching motion, Jack brought his knife out and flung it at the Venetian, landing it straight between the eyes, flying easily through the hands that were uselessly trying to defend.

As he looked at the dead body, Jackson sighed. It had become even messier that he would have liked. Walking over to his last victim, Jack pulled out the knife and placed it back in his pocket. Then, placing gloves expertly on his fingers, picked up the body and brought it over to the window, where he threw it out, landing it face down on the pavement. No one would ever know that he had been killed; it would just look like an accident.

Giving one last glance around the room, Jack left it swiftly, closing the door neatly behind him, making sure to remove all trace of fingerprints.

The next morning, Jack sat out front of the hotel on the little Patio, still keeping his disguise in check. He watched as people rowed by in the little gondola's taking them to their destinations. They were all so simple, so small… so easy to kill.

He watched the next boat row up one to his hotel, stowing a curly, auburn haired woman, whose back was to him. When she turned around, however, his breath caught in his throat as he immediately recognized her.

_Lisa._

**It is a fanfiction sin to read and not review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all sooo much for reviewing! I appreciate them all so much! Please continue to read and review, and i hope you enjoy the chapter! There's lots of JL in this chappie for you all. : )**

**Chapter 3**

The hotel was breathtaking, towering up above Lisa as he sat in the gondola rowing towards it. It was dark brown, with rows of windows, where there were vine-arranged flowers out front. All thebeautiful accents added to it really helped add to the romantic feel of Venice.

Lisa took a deep breath as her boat pulled up to a stop in front of the hotel. She slowly rose from her seat, trying to take in everything that was around her, the river, the buildings, the people; honestly, she never thought that she would end up here. It was like a dream come true. As she walked towards the front doors, the man in the gondola got out, and carried her bags inside, taking them upstairs.

Since she was so taken aback by Venice and it's sights, she failed to notice the man that had begun to follow her into the hotel.

When she walked to the counter to receive her key, she then noticed, out of the corner of her eyes, that man that had been so expertly following her. At first she didn't take much heed to it, thinking it to be her imagination, but even as she turned the corner and walked to the elevator, the man was still stalking her. She gave an involuntary shudder as this slightly reminded her of her previous experience, her rape, and how that man had followed her as well.

Then she took up an even faster pace to get to the elevator more quickly. She pushed the button for the elevator, wishing that it would get here ASAP, as she saw the man approaching her.

"Come on… Come on…" she whispered under her breath.

"Alright then," an all too familiar voice replied.

Lisa turned around quickly and saw her worst nightmare standing there, unmasked, and undisguised: _Jackson Rippner_.

Before Lisa could say anything, however, he had grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her inside of the elevator, just as it opened. No one else was in or around the shaft, but once inside, Jack pushed the "close door" button, and watched as the doors shut them both in: alone.

Then he turned to face Lisa, who had backed herself up against the corner, to shocked to say anything or to even scream. The first thought that came into her head was, _"How did he get here? Even find me?"_

She had been well protected, of course, and had all traces of her well enough erased so that _he_ would not be able to find her. Obviously, that had not worked as well as Lisa would have liked.

But before Lisa's thoughts could travel any farther, Jack was right in front of her, only inches away from her horrified place.

"Well, well, well…" he began in an eerie voice. "If it isn't Ms. Lisa Reisert."

"How'd you find me?" she asked harshly.

"What? No 'Hello Jack.' Or 'Good to see you Jack?' How very rude of you Lise," he chided.

"You didn't answer my question," Lisa repeated through clenched teeth.

Jack shrugged. "I didn't. You came to me." He paused. "You know, you gave me quite the start when you showed up here, I didn't expect it, to be quite honest. You looked so beautiful…" he trailed off as he grabbed a curl of hair from her head.

She immediately slapped his hand away. "Don't you touch me."

Her attacker immediately retaliated as he grabbed her throat and forced her up against the wall, causing her to gasp to air.

"Don't test me Lise!" he yelled at her. "I'll touch you whenever I want!"

Then he let her go, and watched as she fell onto her hands and knees taking in gulps of air.

"What do you want?" asked Lisa.

Jack squatted down to her level, put his finger underneath her chin to make her look at him. Then he leaned in closer to her face and whispered in her ear.

"_Maybe to repeat a certain past experience that left you with that scar_."

Lisa immediately rose to her feet and backed away from him, a horrified expression on her face. _He wouldn't!_

"How... dare you!" she seethed at him, fury coming into her eyes, but still overshadowed by an intense fear.

The assassin then laughed in her face. "You get so adorable when you're angry."

"Shut up!" Lisa screamed as she punched him in the jaw, sending his head snapping to the side.

Slowly his head turned back to face her as he licked the blood off his lips. "Ah, I see I've hit a soft spot for you. Can't face your rape, can you? Can't bear to think of the man _touching_ you, of _hurting_ you?"

"I said shut up…" she whispered as she felt tears begin to swell in her eyes. _No Lisa... no. Do not cry in front of him. You're stronger than this… Stronger…_

But slowly she felt her defenses begin to crumble as she felt one tear spill over her eye, followed shortly by another.

"My, my, what's this? The, oh so feisty, strong-willed Lisa Reisert is crying? Well, that's a new one," said Jack sarcastically.

"Stay away from me!" yelled Lisa as she ran out of the just opening elevator doors and into the deserted hallways.

"Wrong floor!" Jack yelled after her, a smile tracing his lips.

He watched as she slowed to a stop, looking at the room numbers around her. She was in the 500's, when she needed the 600's.

Just one more flight, and she would have been there, safe from her enemy. But no, she was trapped. Desperately she looked around for some stairs that she could run up, but she didn't see any near by.

Slowly she turned around to face Jack, who was standing in the hallway, apparently letting the elevator go back down. It could be several minutes before it came back up, which left several minutes for Jack to pursue her.

Lisa stood her ground, however, waiting for Jack to come to her. But when he too stood his ground, she began to get suspicious. Wasn't he here to hurt her, just like he had said? After all, Jack doesn't lie.

Apparently, Lisa had thought too soon, for Jack then began to advance on her, taking long strides. Lisa began to back up as well, trying to keep her distance from him, but also have an eye him. When she realized that he was gaining quickly, she turned around and ran down the hallway, trying to escape from him. But Jack was too fast and caught up with her soon enough, grabbing her by the wrists and forcing her back against the wall. He raised her hands above her head, tightening his grip on her wrists.

Since Lisa tried to move her feet in order to kick him, Jack had to place his whole body over hers, crushing her against the wall. Jack watched her face intently, seeing what she would do. He watched as she closed her eyes, trying to take deep breaths to keep herself calm.

When she opened her eyes up, and saw Jack still there, inches from her face, whole body pushed up against her, she once again closed her eyes.

Jack smirked. What was she trying to do? Wish him to go away?

But as Jack continued to watch her, his smirk slowly faded. Lisa's body was trembling and her breaths were coming in sharp gasps. Suddenly, Jack felt sort of bad, which was something that he did not feel often. But before he could act on this new feeling, Lisa did something that even he did not expect: she fainted.

Jack's eyes widened as he felt Lisa's body go limp, nearly falling from beneath him. But Jack held her up in his arms, feeling very awkward in this new situation. Her head was on his chest, and his arms underneath hers, dragging her back to the elevator.

Of course, he would not just leave his prey lying on the ground, with no one to help her. Who knows what would happen, what creep would attack her helpless form. Only Jack could do her harm, and he would not risk letting someone else get the chance. And so he dragged her into the elevator, taking her back to his room.

**It is a fanfiction sin to read and not review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you all sooo much for the nice feedback! I am glad that you are all enjoying it! And do not worry, they will not immediately have sex, lol. I'll take it slow. ; ) and to the person who said I spelled 'Lise' wrong, well I have seen it spelled both ways on here, and since I have already established Lise and not Leese, I am going to stick with it. Sorry if you don't like it, but that is just too bad. lol Well, please do enjoy the chapter, and as always, don't forget to review! Thxs!**

**Chapter 4**

"_We are threatened with suffering from three directions: from our own body, which is doomed to decay and dissolution and which cannot even do without pain and anxiety as warning signals; from the external world, which may rage against us with overwhelming and merciless forces of destruction; and finally from our relations to other men. The suffering which comes from this last source is perhaps more painful than any other."_

– Sigmund Freud

It was not normal for Jackson Rippner to take care of someone else, to help them. It was just not what he did, when in fact he did just the opposite. He destroyed people, killed them and tore them away from all that they loved. That was his job; that was his life. But to take care of someone and to watch out for them… well, that was something that he had never done before. Luckily, Jack had to in the past take care of himself many times, healing his own wounds, and was well educated in the healing process.

In that way, he watched over Lisa as she slept peacefully, probably the best sleep she had ever gotten in the past three months.

He watched the slight pout of her lips as she laid on his couch, breathing evenly in her deep sleep. She looked so peaceful, so... beautiful. Jack suddenly tore his eyes from her, trying to occupy himself with anything else. He could not let his thoughts wonder to where they were going. It could never happen and he made himself believe that he had no feelings for her, that she had only been a job, and nothing more. Thinking this over and over again made Jack actually begin to believe it, but deep down, even Jack couldn't deny his growing feelings.

Jack then rose from his seat next to Lisa and went to the mini-fridge, drawing a Jack Daniels from it. Popping the top and then taking a big gulp of the beer, Jack went into the other room of his suite, plopping down on the bed and turning on the television. He usually never watched television, thinking of it only as a mind-dulling experience, but he just needed something to take his mind off of Lisa.

So he flipped through the channels, finally deciding to watch the Italian Opera. He wasn't really all that much interested in it, but it was the only decent thing on. Sitting and watching people sing-scream was slowly beginning to put Jack to sleep. He tried to make his eyes stay open, but he had not slept during the past 48 hours. Usually, that was his limit. Besides, there was nothing that he needed to do, nothing that could bother, since Lisa was out cold. Surely he could get in a couple hours of sleep. And sure enough, he did fall asleep in his propped up position on the comfy bed, the TV still showing opera.

_There was a purse, a large brown purse next to him. Jackson looked down at it in wonder. What was he doing with a purse? Then he looked around him. He was in the desert, driving in a Dodge Viper, going extremely fast. He could feel the rush of the wind through his hair, but when he looked over at the purse, the whole world seemed to stop._

_Jack narrowed his eyes. _What the hell?

_Suddenly, the car jolted to the side, turning wildly, causing the purse to fall over, exposing its contents: money, lots and lots of money. Even thought Jack knew that money was extremely important to him, he could not understand why he had so much of it._

_Quickly, the car came to a stop out front of his old childhood house. Jack stared at it in wonder, but dared not to go inside. The shutters were banging wildly, and the house looked very... abandoned. But of course Jack knew why. This was where it had happened, his first murder._

_Then, in the doorway, his mother appeared, just as she had that fateful day. She saw him and pointed a finger at him as she slowly began to walk towards him. Jack tried to move, but found that he had lost control of his legs; he was stuck. He watched as his mother approached him, death in her eyes. And when she got to him, she pulled a knife out of the air and brought it down hard on him in the chest. Jack screamed out in pain as he felt himself fall to the floor…._

Jack shot up in his bed, sweat dripping off of his forehead. He looked around him, unsure of his surroundings. He saw that he was still in his suite, the sun just barely setting, and then all the events of the day came back to him.

Slowly he rubbed his head, trying to wipe away his dream, or nightmare rather, from his head. For a moment, he pondered what it could mean, but then shook it off. It didn't mean anything, did it?

He rose stiffly from his bed, now regretting the position that he had fallen asleep in earlier. When he walked into the other to room to check on his hostage, he noticed that she was still out cold. Just to make sure that she wasn't dead, Jack walked hesitantly over to her, and bent over her, seeing that she was indeed breathing. Just as he was about to stand straight, a hand shot out and grabbed his throat, attempting to throttle him. But, being the trained assassin that Jack was, he grabbed the wrist and twisted it harshly to the side until he felt the fingers fall off of his neck.

Jack looked down at Lisa, who was slowly going to her knees under Jackson's tight grasp. Still holding her wrist, Jack squatted down to her level.

"Now Lise," he began, "That's no way to greet your rescuer."

It took a moment for Lisa to respond, since she was still in deep pain. "Well…" she choked out. "I wouldn't even be in this situation if it weren't for you."

All of a sudden, Jack let go of Lisa's wrist and rose to a standing position. "I guess you do have a point there, Lise. But… you almost killed me."

Lisa rose slowly to her feet and she massaged her sore wrist. "What do you want from me?"

Jack smirked. "You were always the one to ask questions, weren't you? But remember, they got you no where last time, and they certainly will not this time." He paused. "But I guess you do deserve an explanation, which is just three words: I never lie."

Lisa frowned. "And is that supposed to mean something?"

"I thought you were smarter than this, Lise. Come on now, don't disappoint me."

"And just what am I supposed to remember?"

"Here, let me jog your memory. _When this is all over, I might have to steal you_," said Jack simply.

Lisa narrowed her eyes. "You didn't steal me, Jackson Rippner. You didn't even know I was here."

"True, True," agreed Jack. "But I was getting to it. I was just too busy."

"Right. Well, if you will excuse me I must be going now," said Lisa as she began to walk to the door. But Jack stood in front of the door, blocking her only escape route.

"Lisa…" he said hauntingly.

After Lisa stood staring at him for a second, she composed herself and then approached Jack gracefully. She brought herself within a few inches of him and then lifted her fingers to his neck, where she had punctured his vocal cords. Once she was sure that she had his attention placed on that scar, Lisa reared back her head and then slammed it into Jacks', knocking him off balance just long enough for Lisa to thrust open the door and sprint out of the suite.

As she ran as fast as her legs would allow, she could hear Jackson's laughter behind her as he said, "I'll be watching!"

But Lisa's steps did not falter and she continued to run until she got to the elevator and went down to the correct floor with her room. Once inside, she immediately chained and locked the door, making sure that no one could get in. Then, realizing just how tired she was, she changed into her pajamas and climbed into the bed, going into a restless sleep.

**Next time... Lisa meets a special someone and jealousy ensues...**

**it is a fanfiction sin to read and not review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey my wonderful readers and reviewers! My apologies that this chappie took so long. Really busy and writers block. but here I am! And I thank each and every one of you who reviewed, I am so thankful for you guys! Please enjoy this chapter, and letme know what ya think! Thxs bunches!**

**Chapter 5**

_Every time you scream at me  
I wanna kiss you  
When you put your hands on me  
I wanna touch you  
When we get to arguing  
Just gotta kiss you  
Baby, I don't know why it's like that  
But you're just so damn sexy  
When you're mad_

-**When you're mad** - Ne-Yo

Jack sat in his suite, staring blankly at the wall opposite of him. As much as he tried to avoid it, all he could think about was Lisa. He hated the fact that he was… attracted to her, although he had tried to kill her on multiple occasions. Now, however, when he threatened her, or attacked her, it was not to do her harm, necessarily, but just to see how she would react.

With Lisa, it was always something new, some surprise action, which Jack found to be quite arousing. He had never met a woman with so much spunk before in all his travels. They would all just give in to him, or he would kill them easily. Never before had they put up such a good fight in order to get away from him. Lisa was this new case, this irregular case. She tried so hard to avoid him, to defeat him. Still, Jack was the stronger of the two, as he knew, but he found it cute the way she reacted to him.

Suddenly, Jack stood up from his seat and went out to the hallway. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was just a little past midnight.

Quickly, he walked down the hall and to the elevator, where he got inside and went down to Lisa's floor. In all truth, he had no idea what he was doing down here standing in front of Lisa's room. He was in a debated with himself whether to go in or not. Of course he wanted to, but he was slightly unsure of how Lisa would react. Did he want another argument with her? Another ruthless fight? Of course he did. He wanted to see her anger and feel the wrath of her words, which would amuse him and allure him even more to her.

But as much as Jack wanted all these things, he knew that Lisa would never appreciate the invasion of privacy. He also knew that she was probably sleeping with her eyes open and the minute he walked in, she would know it.

_Screw it,_ Jack thought as he expertly jimmied the door open.

Quietly he stepped inside her room, his steps not making a single sound as he approached her bed. When he finally got over to her bed, however, Jack was extremely surprised when he found her bed to be empty. Jack's eyes narrowed as he wondered where she would have gone this late at night. At first, he thought that she had possibly gone to a different hotel, but he was sure that he had seen her come into her room.

Jack cursed under his breath, and began to think of the places that she would have gone. Now, Lisa was not one to party, Jack knew, but after what had happened, perhaps she had needed a drink.

Then he began to think of the most popular club in Venice, one that would be suggested to Lisa if she might've asked. It hit him: the Acropolis. The Acropolis was one of the more famous dance clubs in Venice, Italy, and Jack was sure that someone would have mentioned it to her, if she had not already heard of it herself.

Within seconds, Jack was already on his way to the front of the hotel and to the club. He had no time to waste, for Lisa could already be well on her way to a drunken stupor, putting herself in danger of the older Italian men, who be quite… sexual. Jack had heard of many older Italian men who tried to feel up girls anywhere they went: the train, the plaza's… absolutely anywhere. But Jack knew that if anyone, _anyone_, had laid a single finger on her, they would be dead within seconds. Thinking of this put Jack into a better mood, a slight smirk lighting his face.

* * *

In no time at all, Jack was inside the Acropolis, looking around at the faces of young girls, old girls, young men, and old men. The music blared in his ears and the ever-changing lights loomed overhead, making it hard to make out the faces to find his Lisa. But at last he spotted her, over by the bar, chatting to some young man. Jack had to admit, Lisa had good taste. The boy looked decent enough, modest even, but still, it was obvious to anyone and everyone that he was flirting with Lisa, his Lisa, even if she didn't know it yet.

He watched as the young lad placed a hand on Lisa's forearm as they laughed together, and then Lisa pushed his chest playfully.

Jack's nostrils flared as he felt the anger set in. Lisa's touches were his and his alone. No one else could lay a hand on her, dangerous or not. Behind him, Jack felt another presence stand there.

"You look like a man who could use a drink," the woman said.

Jack turned around stiffly, and looked at the woman who had approached him. She was attractive, yes, but her clothes made her look like a total prostitute, which she probably was. She had on what looked like a bra, and then extremely short black short, that squeezed her curves tightly.

Jack paused for a moment before he replied. "And you look like someone who needs money, and perhaps multiple men in her bed."

The girl smiled. "I could go for a few other people... but my limit is twelve."

Jack whistled. "I'm not sure I would want eleven other men in the bed with me."

The girl leaned in closer and whispered in Jack's ear. "I was talking about women."

Inside, Jack cringed, but to the woman, he only laughed. "You are very forwards, I'll give you that. But I'm afraid I'll have to pass."

The girl pouted her dislike. "Come on handsome," she pressed on as she rubbed his chest, "I promise I'll make it worth your while."

Jack grabbed her wrist painfully and pulled it off of him, but wrenched the girl roughly towards him, until his face was in hers.

"I. Said. No," he said harshly.

Then he pushed her away from him and went into the crowd of people on the dance floor, pushing his way towards Lisa. Behind him he heard the girl mutter, "Jerk…" but he let it slide. He wanted nothing to do with a whore.

At last he reached where Lisa was sitting, but sat on a chair a few places from where Lisa was sitting, making himself invisible to her. But still, he sat close enough so that he could hear every word that they said to each other, every despicable word, which made Jack want to rip the tongue out of that young, Italian man.

"So what brings you into Italy, Lisa?" the man asked.

_So she's already told him her name…_

Lisa smiled. "Oh you know, just vacationing. I've always wanted to come here, Venice especially." She paused. "Which I guess would explain why I'm here."

The man laughed.

Jack glared. _What a suck up. He only wants to get in her pants_.

"Have you seen the sights yet?" the man asked.

Lisa shook her head. "No, I've only been here this afternoon."

"And already you're at a club, partying the night away? What a woman you are!"

_Stop trying to charm her with your words, you bastard. She's mine and you can't have her._

Lisa giggled at his words, bringing a hand up to her mouth. "I'm not usually like this! Promise!"

Jack's eyes narrowed. _Tipsy already, Lise? Good thing I came, otherwise you would undoubtedly be sleeping with this man_.

The man put up his hands defensively. "Hey, I have nothing against a woman who likes to party. I like it when they get tipsy."

_Yeah, so you can have sex with every innocent one._

Lisa leaned forwards. "I… am not tipsy." She leaned forwards a little bit more, causing her to almost fall out of her chair, but the man caught her, a slight look of concern in his eyes.

_You're not concerned. Stop acting like it._

"You're right. You're drunk." He paused. "Come on," the man said sincerely. "Let's get you home." He clasped her arm lightly, like he was going to lead her out, but Lisa pulled it away and objected.

"You should go home before you get too drunk, you know that," the man continued.

"I don't wanna," repeated Lisa.

But the man would have none of Lisa's objections and continued to drag her out of the club, while she kept on repeatedly saying no. However, the man was stronger than Lisa, especially a drunk Lisa. At last he got her out of the club and somehow managed to get her to sit down on a gondola.

Before the man left, Lisa grabbed his arm. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Yes," he replied. "You gave me your number and the hotel you're staying at, remember?"

Lisa shook her head no.

The man sighed. "Just try not to forget me tomorrow, okay? No matter how bad your hangover is, just try to remember tonight."

Lisa nodded as she said, "Of course."

Then the man waved goodbye and went back into the shadows of the nightclub, watching Lisa as her boat left.

**_Those italics inbetween their convo's were Jack's thoughts, case you were wonderin_**

**It is a fanfiction sin to read and not review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey wonderful reviewers! Thanks so much for all the positive feedback! I love you all! Hope you enjoy this chapter, and please continue to leave me reviews! THANKS!**

**Chapter 6**

The next morning, Lisa awoke in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. She squinted her eyes, trying to discern just where she was and what had happened the previous night. She knew that she went to a club… but after that, everything was a little hazy. Was there a man involved?

_Oh god..._ Lisa thought as she looked around for any traces of a man. _Did I sleep with a stranger?_

But as she looked around, she gave a sigh of relief when she noticed that there were no half naked men in her room. What did slightly knock her off guard, however, was that she recognized none of her suitcases. She cocked her head as she wondered if she had brought in her suitcases the previous day or not. She was sure that she had, but the only suitcase that she saw was a large black one, and hers was blue.

Jolting her out of her thoughts, the door to the room opened up, revealing a man holding two cups of coffee. Her heart caught in her throat as he realized whom it was: Jackson.

Immediately she was off of the bed and was clambering away from him onto the opposite side of the bed. When he saw her move, his mouth twisted into a sly smirk. Without taking his eyes of off her, he walked over the little table and placed down the two drinks.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Lisa asked fervently through clenched teeth.

"Now, now Lise," he countered. "No need to be rude. I only escorted you back into the hotel after you passed out on the sidewalk."

Lisa narrowed her eyes. Did she really pass out, or was that just some way for Jackson to cover himself up?

Jack must've noticed her eyeing him skeptically for he continued on. "Still believing me to be a liar, I see. And no, I did not do anything to you while you were sleeping." He smirked. "Although I was quite tempted."

Lisa blushed and tried to hide it, but she was unsuccessful, hearing Jack laugh.

"So I really did pass out?" Lisa asked, feeling foolish all the while. "And you helped me?"

He then became serious. "Do not take my actions for granted Lise, because I assure you, they will not happen again. If you find yourself in danger, do not expect me to come running to the rescue."

Lisa laughed hollowly. "Believe me, I will never expect you to help me. Ever."

Jackson nodded. "Good. Now, I brought you some coffee if you would like it. It may help..."

But Lisa was already halfway out the door. "Well, thanks for the help Jack, see ya."

Before she could get very far, however, Jackson grabbed her by the forearm and jerked her back, causing her to fall into his chest. "No need to be in such a rush, Lise. I brought you coffee. It's a nice gesture, remember?"

Lisa nodded numbly into his chest.

"Good. Now drink up," he said as he pushed her away and handed her the cup of steaming hot coffee.

Lisa took it gratefully as she sat herself back down on the bed, but was careful not to sip it too quickly. As she sat there in silence, she could hear Jackson moving about behind her. Glancing out of the corner of her, she watched as Jack reclined into the lounge chair and clicked on the TV. She listened as the TV anchorman spoke, but didn't bother to listen to anything he was saying.

In her sitting position, Lisa was stark still; very aware of the fact that Jacks' eyes were not on the TV at all, but on her. Slowly she sipped her coffee, and once more looked out the corner of her eye, but could only see his boots.

"Trying to steal glances, I see?" Jack asked tauntingly.

Taking a deep breath, Lisa turned around and faced Jack. "Just trying to discern when I can take a run for it," she offered with a smile.

Jack threw his head back and laughed. "Never learned to give up, did you?"

"Never," Lisa said simply. On the outside, she was smiling, but on the inside, how pleasant she was being made her cringe. She hated being nice to the man, but it was the only way that he would ever consider letting her leave. Besides, being on the good side of an assassin was way better than being on their bad.

"You really want to leave that badly?" he asked as his eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"More than anything."

Jack rose to his feet, his coffee in hand, and went to the door, swinging it open. However, Lisa didn't move; she was too amazed by the fact that Jack was actually offering to let her leave. She eyed him suspiciously, not wanting to be a fool and fall into whatever trap he was making.

"Come, come now Lise," he continued as he gestured out the door. "I won't stand here all day playing bellhop."

Slowly Lisa rose to her feet and began taking cautious steps towards her captor. "I… can… just… leave?" she asked hesitantly.

Jack didn't say anything, but just continued to stand by the door. As Lisa continued to walk towards the doors, she never took her eyes off of his, until she was already out the door, and speed-walking her way out of there.

Once she was in the hall and heard his door room click shut, she began to run to the elevator, still afraid that Jack would change his mind and come running after her. After all, Jackson Rippner was never known to be so merciful. But, much to her liking, Lisa got into the elevator without any more words from Jackson, and was already on her way down to the checkout area.

She knew that she could no longer stay at this hotel, since Jack was at the same one. For a moment, she even considered leaving Venice all together, but there was no way that she would let him ruin her vacation; she wouldn't let him have that much power. So she continued on her way to checkout, and was immediately removed from the hotel. The receptionist was a kind enough woman, who actually spoke some English, so Lisa decided to ask her where another nice hotel was in Venice.

The first response from the woman was a 'why do you want a different hotel?' look, but then she just shook her head. "The Hotel Danieli is a very nice hotel, and it is nearly on the other side of Venice." She paused. "But I believe we are very superb and I don't see why –"

Before she could finish, however, Lisa smiled, said quick thanks, and was already heading back up to her room to collect her things.

Downstairs, the receptionist shook her head. "Americans…"

Hurriedly, Lisa went through the hallway to her bedroom, and got inside as fast as she possibly could. Grabbing all her things, she threw them back into her suitcase, not caring to fold them at all. Then her phone rang, causing Lisa to jump at the startling sound. It rung again, and Lisa eyed it suspiciously. She was unsure if she should answer it or not, for it could very well be Jackson. But then she reconsidered, thinking that it might be one of the hotel employees.

Reaching over, Lisa hastily picked up the phone. "Hello? She asked anxiously.

"Hello?" the male voice responded. "Hello, is this Lisa?"

"Yes…"

"Hey, Lisa, it's Marc, from the bar the other night?" the other end said.

Lisa gave a sigh of relief that it was not Jack. But, as much as she hated to admit it, she barely remembered Marc… but what she did know was that she had been attracted to him.

"Lisa? You still there?"

Lisa closed her eyes and steadied herself. "Yeah, yeah Marc, I'm still here."

Marc laughed. "You didn't forget me, did you?"

"No, no, I remember you." She glanced at the clock. "It's just that I am sort of in a rush at the moment. I'm switching hotels and…"

"Oh, right. Hey, that's okay. You can just call me back later."

Lisa nodded her head. "That would probably be best. Um, if you could just give me your number…"

"It's 1432-566-9087."

"Okay, thanks Marc," Lisa replied. "I'll give you a call later."

"Alright. Bye, Lisa."

"Bye."

She hastily hung up the phone and continued the packing of her things. Once that was all completed, she grabbed everything and once more went out into the hallways. At last, after all her struggles, she finally made it down to the lounge area, and went out to the decks, preparing for the next gondola to arrive. When it did, she threw all her items into it, and then herself as she told the man where to take her.

As this was happening, unbeknownst to her, there was a man in the hotel, watching everything that she did from his window. What she also didn't know was that no matter where she went, he would follow her.

**it is a fanfiction sin to read and not review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much to everyone who is reviewing and sticking with me throughout this story! You guys keep me motivated! And I apologize for this semi-short chapter... the writing juices have been"out of order." I'm sorry! but please enjoy it anyways! We are finally getting to some atcion. ; ) oh yeah. Letme know what ya think!**

**Chapter 7**

Lisa arrived at the Hotel Danieli a little after 5 pm, and once she got there, she immediately went to her new room, anxious to get a little relaxation into her life. Ever since Jackson came back onto the scene in her life, she had been bustling about nonstop. First he threatens her, and then he follows her, practically kidnapping her. It was just turning out to be one huge mess.

She had never wanted to see Jackson Rippner again in her entire life. After she had defeated him, she had figured that he would leave her alone, or possibly even just die. But no, he had to show up in Italy on her one vacation and spoil everything she had achieved. Before this whole fiasco, her life had been slowly going back to normal, or at least as much as it could after what she had gone through. Then she saw him in the hotel and her whole world turned upside down once again.

In this new hotel, perhaps she could get some peace and quiet. She had told no one of her whereabouts, except that receptionist, so she figured that she would be alone at last.

Plopping herself down onto the bed, she pulled out her latest read, Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. Just as she was letting herself get consumed by this fantasy world, she heard a grumble come from her stomach. She had been so caught up in getting away from Jackson that she had forgotten about her basic needs. Reaching over the bed to the nightstand, she grabbed the phone to call for room service. She ordered the steak and potato meal with a beer, no more sea breezes for her.

Then she resettled herself back down onto the bed, resuming her book. She was nearing the end of the book, where Robert and Vittoria were entering the catacombs where the grave of St. Peter was located.

Just then, there came a knocking from the door, which made her jump involuntarily. She rose quickly from her bed and walked over to the door, opening it for the bellman on the other side.

Imagine her surprise, then, when she realized that it was not a bellman, but a strange man dressed in all black, a pair of sunglasses upon his face. He was a large man, heavily built with large muscles. To Lisa, he looked dangerous.

The man was the first to speak. "Lisa Reisert?"

"Who are you?" asked Lisa, who was hesitant to reveal her identity.

"I'll take that as a yes," the man responded as he lurched forwards, grabbing Lisa by the waist. She screamed in indignation as she was thrown over the man's shoulder. She tried beating him with her fists and kicking her legs in all directions, but it was to no avail. The man was just too strong for Lisa to anything to escape, try as she might. The man continued walking down the hallway towards a window, where more men met him dressed in the same fashion as he was.

One of the other men walked over to Lisa, who was thrown down on to her feet and held in place by her captive. The new man walked over to her, looking her up and down.

"Is this her?" the man asked.

The other simply nodded his head.

The man grunted. This man was not as big as the other, he was taller, thinner, but looked tough all the same, he somewhat reminded Lisa of Jack. "I expected her to be… stronger looking; more muscle," he said as he lifted her arm, and then let it plop back down.

"Don't you touch me," cried Lisa, her eyes glaring daggers.

The man laughed cruelly. "Oh, but you are feisty." He snapped his fingers. "Men, take her away."

Then more men moved forwards, tying her wrists with a thick cord, as well as her feet. Suddenly, beside the window, a helicopter pulled up next to it, and the men put Lisa into it, with themselves following. Lisa watched in wide-eyed terror as the helicopter moved away from the window and then up and above Venice, going to hell knows where.

0o00o0o0oo00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Jackson stood at the base of the Hotel Danieli, his brow furrowed in anger as he watched the scene play out before him. Lisa was being flown out by helicopter, being kidnapped by those… miscreants. He just knew that this was bound to happen sometime. These men that were kidnapping her, were his fellow workers, or at least, former coworkers. They worked for the same company as he had when he was on the Keefes case.

After his failure, however, they had let him go, which was very generous on their part. They said that since he was their best assassin, they would let him live and go free if he kept silent, and they would know if he ever said anything. Jackson had agreed, of course, for he had no desire to tell anyone about his former employers. After all, it was his fault that he failed and not the companies; it was right by them to fire him. He worked for a new company now, one with much better benefits, he would admit. That was why he was in Italy right now, since he had just finished his assignment.

Now, though, his former employers had taken Lisa, in an attempt to get her back for what she did to them. She made them fail, him fail. Since she had done such a thing, something like this was bound to happen. He had tried to keep as much of an eye on her as possible, without being seen by her constantly. That had failed miserably, since it seemed that Lisa was always looking over her shoulder for some sort of terrorist attack. Still, he managed to keep somewhat of a close eye on her, except for this evening. This evening, he had let his guard down, thinking that she might be okay by herself for a few hours. Jack shook his head. Even leaving that girl by herself for a couple of hours had gotten herself in deep trouble. This was indeed turning out to be a very complicated situation.

Jack sighed. He had just finished fighting off a deadly assassin and now it looked like he would have to do it again. As he watched the helicopter fly over Venice, he knew that he would have one more assignment to complete while in Italy: getting Lisa back.

**Next time... Operation Lisa!**

**It is a fanfiction sin to read and not review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** _My deepest, sincerest apologies for the long wait! But now, you can say that you have endured the worst of my none-updating self. So now, things can only get better, right? and I thank everyone for their kind reviews! I appreciate them all very much! Enjoy the chapter and please letme know what you think! Thxs!_

**Chapter 8: Operation Lisa**

The hallways in which Jackson moved smelled of must and sweat, not too good of a combination for his tastes. He silently crept through them like he was just a wisp of wind flowing through naturally, and not the skilled killer that he actually was. If anyone did hear him, though, they certainly did not show it, or perhaps he just didn't let them live long enough to show any kind of reaction.

The building that he was in was called Holy Getaway, but it was just an abandoned old structure, probably not having any people within it for some years – or so it would appear. But rather, the people in it now, the trained and skilled, had been here for possibly ten years at most, which was really not too long at all. Their operations consisted of nothing nice and everything dirty. They were the guys who never played by the rules, the ones who had thrown out the book long ago. They were the cheaters, the liars, the deceivers, the manipulators, and he used to be one of them.

Now, however, the tables had somehow turned, and these trained assassins had now become the prey and were no longer the predator.

Jackson silently continued his way through the building and he came upon another night guard. Quick as a cat, Jackson snuck up behind the man, grabbed his skull between his hands and twisted it harshly to the side, letting him fall to the ground after he heard the sick snap of his neck. Unfazed, Jack continued his route through the "Holy Getaway" before he finally came to a somewhat difficult area covered with many men, looking imposing and important. However, Jackson knew that they were not nearly as frightening as they all looked. And as he wound his way through them, killing them in different ways, just to make it a little more interesting, he found that he knew a couple of the faces that he was destroying.

After he had either killed or knocked out over half of the men, the others finally had the sense to realize that their other partners were all being taken out. Seeing Jackson, they all turned from their posts and went after the intruder, attempting to knock him off his feet and then kill him just as he had to all the others. However, none of them held the skill (or the capacity thereof) that Jack himself held. He was much more agile and quick-witted than the other numb skulls who tried to best him. Sure, there were a few larger men, tougher looking men, but they were slow and stupid – quite the opposite of Jack. And so, in that one room, out of the, oh, twenty-five, men in there, Jack had defeated them all, and left them lying on the ground, dead or unconscious.

As Jack looked more closely at the room that he was in, he realized that he was just down the hall from the prison cells, where he was sure that Lisa was being held. As he made his way over there, Jack pondered still as to why he was doing this for Lisa. Risking everything on the line, his life and what few connections he had left, and for what? To save the girl that hated him to the depths of hell, that somehow, god-forbid, he thought that he was falling for? To what purpose was that? No doubt she would once again ridicule him in his face and make a fool of him. Or perhaps, he was expecting a different kind of reaction: maybe the type that included Knight in Shining Armor. That one particular role Jack had never once played, not to anyone. Perhaps it was the one tiny flicker of hope that he might get in good graces with Lisa was the one thing that was driving him to save her.

At last, after a good many kills, Jack had made it to the cellblocks, where, not to his surprise, many prisoners were being held, that including his Lisa.

When she saw him coming down the hall, her reaction was a sort of shock and surprise, the type of reaction anyone would expect. As Jack reached her cell, and undid the lock, Lisa stared at him quizzically.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Jack didn't even bother to look up from the lock. "What does it look like, Lise? Saving your ass."

Still, Lisa was unfazed by his answer, and wondered why she had even asked in the first place. "I can see that, Jack. But why?"

"First of all," said Jack as he took off the lock, "I deserve your thanks, not doubt. And to answer your question as to why, I have no idea." He shrugged indifferently. "Perhaps it's because I can't bear the thought of someone hurting you that isn't me. No one's allowed that, not even my old colleagues."

While Jack was speaking, they had left the cellblock and were now working their way out. However, immediately after Jack had said the word "colleagues", her little red flag once more went up and she stopped straight in her tracks.

"Colleagues?" she hissed. "You worked for these people?"

Jack only paused for a moment, before he continued to drag her allow by the elbow. "Come now, Lise, that can't come as a surprise to you. You of all people should know that I am not a nice sort of guy. You couldn't have expected me to work for nice kind of people."

Lisa considered this for a moment. "Well, maybe not nice people, but not torturing kind of people either. I figured it as just a find and kill sort of method."

This statement, however, managed to stop Jackson in his tracks. "Did those bastards torture you?"

Lisa shook her head. "No, not me. But the others that were around me, well, I was just able to hear their terrified screams of pain."

Then Jackson just moved on, feeling indifferent once more.

Now, though, Lisa was the one unhappy. "So you're not going to do anything with the other prisoners? They could use some help too."

"No, actually, they most likely deserve what ever they are getting. These guys don't put people through pain for nothing."

"But I'm sure some of the men locked up are good people; not everyone deserves the torture."

"I'm sure you're right, Lisa, but we just don't have the time to go on a full fledged rescue mission here. I came for you only, and I am leaving with you only. No time for anyone else."

Lisa snorted. "Yeah, we'll just come back for the rest of you guys later!" she mockingly yelled.

Jack just ignored her and in no time at all, since all the guards were dead already, they were safely outside and heading to Jack's car down the street.

Hastily, he opened up the door for Lisa and after she had gotten in, he placed himself inside as well and started up the engine. Outside of the building, just as they were pulling away, guards came rushing out, but they were too late. They fired their guns pointlessly at the out of sight car that had taken away their prisoner.

Back inside the car, the two were awkwardly silent as Jack drove their way back to his own personal quarters, some ways from this part of Italy. Jack wasn't completely sure that Lisa wanted to go back to his Italian Vista, but she hadn't voiced her opinion to say her indifference on the matter. Of course, that could just be because he hadn't told her that little speck of information just yet.

Although his reasoning was perfectly legit (she couldn't go back to her hotel, for the enemy obviously knew where she was), he wasn't so sure that Lisa would see things his way. She had a way about her that was particularly stubborn.

So as he drove on, Jack didn't say a word about their destination. Instead, he just readied himself for her response when they got to the new location and the time that he would have to experience with her, alone, in his house, with no other option. That part was what he feared most about how Lisa would react to; none of this could turn out good.

**Like it? Didn't like it? Please bless me with your thoughts!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: My apologies for the wait, my dear reviewers. Busy busy! But I thank you for the reviews, and although this is a short chapter, it is still a chapter... so please let me know what you think and enjoy! Thxs!**

**Chapter 9**

Luis Armano was not a mean man – he was malicious. He was the epiphany of a cruel, malevolent man. Never once did he say a nice thing to anyone, congratulating him on a job well done. When someone failed a job, Luis would blatantly let them know their wrong and would ridicule him in front of everyone in the company. And on the rare occasion when someone did do something correctly, Luis always found a way to denote the act and make it seem as though that 'someone' had missed a huge step or could have done something a lot better or cleaner. He was rude, reclusive, and disreputable – all over a heinous creation of man.

Luis was the leader of the most notorious gang-bangers around: the Black B's. It was rumored that the B's stood for: Bereave, Beguile, and Behead, but no one was certain since no member could speak out – or else they were killed. But the three B's were said to be the steps usually taken by the members of the Black B's. None of them were to be taken lightly.

Inside the building, Luis sat at his desk, looking pointedly at Daniel – the main guard of the Holy Getaway: the place where his most recent prisoner was being held but had now managed to escape from by way of rescue team – or rather person.

He leaned forwards in his chair, clasping his hands together with no expression on his face; but of course there never was.

"Now Daniel," he began smoothly, "would you mind explaining to me why you let my prisoner escape along with an ex-member who was told that if he ever came back he would be killed on the spot? Now why did that not happen, seeing as how he is still alive?"

Daniel moved uncomfortably in his chair, feeling like a small ant in front of his boss' hard gaze. "You see, sir, he infiltrated our building, undetected and made a surprise visit, attacking and killing silently as he went along."

"Are you implying that no one had any idea that Jackson was in the building until the prisoner was removed?"

"Uh… well.. I… uhh…"

"Give me an answer!" roared Luis.

"We were unaware sir, otherwise we would have gone immediately and –"

"I do not want to know what could have happened, Daniel. The truth of the matter is that you let them get away unscathed, proving once and for all your incompetence."

"Sir, I beg to differ," challenged Daniel courageously – no one ever argued with the captain.

"Pardon me?"

"I believe that the fault lies within the guards who were on duty that night. They did not stop Jackson when they had the chance, causing him to go through undetected until he got to the prisoner. I was unaware of the situation, sir, and the guards should have alerted me immediately, when they clearly did not."

Luis was silent for a moment before he rose from his chair. "Are you implying that since you were not there that the actions of your men are not your fault? Should you not have been there, in the building, all night, watching your men, since they are under your guidance? Are you implying that since you left them all alone in the building, without your supervision, that it is their lack of competence and not your s that caused this most recent disaster?" As he said this, he accented each 'you' in order to make Daniel feel as though he was in the wrong.

"My apologies, sir, I did not fully realize the wrongness of my actions," he responded quietly.

A wry smile crossed Luis' hard features, making him look like the devil. "Good. Then I can send you to Hell with your apologies freshly imprinted in your mind and perhaps God will give you pardon – but I doubt it."

With that Luis pulled out his gun and shot Daniel straight between the eyes, killing him instantly. He nodded to the guards present in the room and they grabbed Daniel and took him out to the cliffs, throwing him off into the water, never to be heard from or seen again.

Back inside, Luis was looking at the profile of Jackson Rippner, and he zoned in on the picture of the despicable human.

"Soon," Luis said quietly, "you and your girl will be mine, Jackson. You won't get away from me again."

**Please leave a nice little present for me! Everyone loves a present… hint hint.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The Italian Vista wasn't large, nor was it small. To Lisa, it was actually quite a nice size, appearing only to be perhaps 3000 square feet. The front entryway, which was in the shape of an arc, was made of multi-colored stones and was led up to by a cobbled walkway. The Vista itself was a dark-stained wood with a flat roof. Surrounding it were many trees and various shrubbery, ranging from roses to grapevines and the trees from to . The front door was tucked into the middle of the house, somewhat hidden by the trees, and the rest of the house, after it squared open from he door, went for about 6 feet before it turned back and went around and connected in the back.

Along the walkway, there were tall lanterns to light the pathway when it became dark. Truly, to Lisa, the Vista was a pure beauty.

Once out of the car, Lisa turned to Jack who stood beside her. Is this place yours?" she asked, her eyes amazed and her mouth smiling.

Jack, however, did not return the kind look. He instead frowned slightly and gave her a worried look. "Yes, it is, which is the problem."

Lisa furrowed her brow. "I don't understand."

Jack ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Of course you wouldn't. You have never worked with these guys. These guys go straight for the kill, and believe me, they know where to find you."

Lisa's look didn't change. "So then why did we come here?"

Jack paused as he turned his body away from her and then turned back, his expression not changing either. "Well, they don't exactly know where this place is. But they have been here before."

Lisa's eyes widened. "Jackson! Are you kidding me?" she replied through clenched teeth as she strode over to him. "You brought us here, to a place where they've been and can find and will recognize and…" she roared out in frustration.

"Now Lisa…"

She stuck a finger in his face. "Don't you now Lisa me! There is no logical explanation as to why you would bring us – the people they want to kill – here!"

Jack placed out his hands defensively in front of him. "They don't know where it is, though, not exactly."

Lisa dropped her hands to her sides and sighed. "What do you mean now? Could you just please get to the point? I'm getting tired of your beating around the bush."

"Okay, listen," began Jackson. "I brought them here one time, which was when they were all drunk. We stayed the night and then left early in the morning, while it was still dark. Now, they shouldn't have seen where they went or possibly remember how to get back. And, since this was my one secret hiding place, I guess you could call it, they shouldn't have the address on file. However, there is the off chance that one person might remember how to get here. But, if that is the case, then we just have to be on guard at all times."

Lisa was silent. Then said, "Great. Here I was, thinking that it would be a relaxing situation, but no. I have to be glancing over my shoulder every second to make sure that no one is going to shoot me in the head!"

Jack just stared at her. He didn't know what to say, honestly. Everything that she said was true, but for some reason, he felt as though he wanted to make it all better for her. For some reason, he felt as though he needed to make her happy – to keep her safe, too. Lisa looked at him expectedly, waiting for him to once more retort. However, that retort never came.

Instead, to her surprise – and mildly to his as well – he said, "You're right. Maybe this was a bad idea. I mean, maybe we should've left the country." He paused. "I wish that you wouldn't have gotten involved, Lisa. But if it wasn't this, then you would be dead right now anyway – by my hands. When these guys get after someone, they don't stop. And even though it wasn't you they were after before, you got involved." He sighed. "I wish that this hadn't turned out this way, but this is the way it is, Lise. So we have to make the best of it for now, okay?"

Lisa was shocked. Did Jackson – the feared assassin – just say something _nice_ to her? It wasn't possible! He was supposed to mean and rude, and she was supposed to hate him. But how could she hate him when she said things like that?

She sighed as she said, "Jackson, really, it can't be that bad, can it? I mean all we have to do is hide out here for a few days while we get a plan together, and then we can leave. Surely they'll stay at bay for a couple of days. Besides, even if they do find us, we can just shoot them, right?"

Jack gave a tired smile.

"Now," continued Lisa, "could you tell me exactly who _they_ are?"

So Jackson told Lisa all about the Black B's and who they were. All the while, Lisa listened intently, only asking a few questions here and there. Really, Jackson was straight to the point about it all. At the end of his tale, Lisa said, "Damn. We're in deep trouble, huh?"

"Yea. The leader, Luis Armando, is relentless and malicious. If you ever end up face to face with him, just run and pray he doesn't shoot you."

"So any ideas about what to do next?"

Jackson rubbed his neck. "It's been such a long day, and you're such a hand full, that I haven't really hand time to think yet."

Lisa pushed him playfully in the arm. "Hey, I'm not that much trouble."

Jack only stared at her, eyebrows raised. She rolled her eyes. "Okay so maybe I am. But remember, you were the one stalking me."

"I know, I know. Listen, let's just try and get some sleep before we think too much." He paused as she nodded. "Come one, I'll show you to your room."

**_A/N:_** _Sigh. I know. Another short chapter… but hey, it was sort of like an exchange – less reviews, less pages. Plus, I'm just lazy. So yea… I hope you enjoyed the chapter and prepare for some more JL interaction next time. Yea baby!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Finding the Pieces**

By: Eriksleadinglady

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_**Disclaimer:**__Red Eye and its characters are not mine. However, anything you do not recognize from the story is mine._

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_**A/N:**__Um… hello…. Long time no see… ya? But here I am, with another chapter. Although, it is more of a snippet, I suppose. It's short, yes. BUT, there is credible JxL interaction here. Some of the more, ahem... Moving nature. Not that, though, I assure you. The relationship is not just outerly inclined. So yea, please enjoy and please review! I write for your pleasure, so I would love to know what you think! Happy Spring Break! E. Ll_

**Chapter 11**

Lisa was hopeful. Perhaps she didn't really have a reason to be, but she was. It had been a few days since she and Jack had gotten to the Vista, and still there was no sign of the Black B's and more specifically – Luis Armado. This, she thought, was a good sign; a sign that he didn't know where they were. Maybe, just maybe, she would be safe here.

As for Jack, that had actually been going rather well. For once they were actually being civil to each other, and Lisa found that surprisingly pleasing. She did not expect that they would ever get along, seeing as how their past was less then agreeable. Thinking back on that Red Eye flight now, Lisa wondered how they had gotten to this moment in their relationship – if she could call it that. She had hated Jack; there was no doubt in that. What he did to her – his stalking, murderous attempts, blackmail, and all around rude remarks – was something Lisa viewed as unforgivable.

However, here she was, living in the same house as him, talking to him, and actually enjoying his company. Perhaps this change of heart was because of their common interest of hate in the Black B's. Maybe it was because they were both trying to escape a dire past and were hoping for a bright future, where there were no assassins. Although Jack was indeed a paid killer, Lisa got the feeling that he did not want to pursue that life any longer. And if he did escape that life, then Lisa figured that they might remain friends in the future. Lisa smiled. That would be a large step for her – for them – and Lisa only hoped that it could come true.

She looked out the window and gazed hopefully as the sun was setting. A worry-free future sounded quite appealing right now, and, seeing the wondrous colors of a setting sun – a light yellow-orange fading into a cheeky pink and finally into a lavender – it actually seemed possible.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Jackson asked from the doorway.

Lisa turned around and smiled. "Yes, it really is. I could stand here and watch it forever."

Jack walked from the doorway and stood next to her. "I used to do the same thing when I was here. It helped to take my mind off of everything."

Lisa turned her head slightly to the right to look at him. "Don't tell me you actually felt bad about killing people. It isn't possible!" she said jokingly.

However, Jack didn't smile. "When I first started, I did. But eventually, you just kill so many that it fails to matter; people slowly cease to matter anymore and they just become like bugs."

Slowly, Lisa's smile fell from her lips. She shook her head as she looked down. "It could never be like that for me. _I _could never think like that."

"I'm not a good person, Lise. Not like you."

Lisa raised her brows. "Is that actually a compliment?"

Now he finally found the strength to smile. "Hey, you should feel lucky. I don't give many out."

Then, with all joking aside, she said, "I do."

Jack looked over at her quietly, and without a word, their eyes met. It was as though their brains interlocked and suddenly they understood each other. Just from those few interchanges of words, they had picked out ideas from one another and pieced them together to form new impressions. To Lisa, Jack was not just a mindless killer. To Jack, Lisa was no longer just a prey. However, they only held the gaze for a few seconds, for then Lisa looked away and back out the window. Jack, though, still continued to stare at her long after she had looked away.

Then Lisa turned away from the window and Jack, and still without looking at him she said softly, "Well, I guess I should get some sleep. Good night, Jack."

_As she walked away, Jack did not say anything to her, but his eyes just continued to burn a hole in her back._


	12. Chapter 12

**Finding the Pieces**

By: Eriksleadinglady

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_**Disclaimer:**__Red Eye and its characters are not mine. However, anything you do not recognize from the story is mine._

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**Chapter 12**

That night was not as peaceful as either of them had hoped. Of course, maybe they both had let their guards down a little, since they had not been attacked since they had gotten here. That was a mistake on their part. Thus, when Luis Armano himself and a few of his lackeys attacked, neither of them were prepared.

Luis snuck in through the front door. It may be an obvious, under-thought plan of action, but, after all, he was Luis Armano. Nothing could keep him out. Or rather, _no one_ could keep him out.

When he was safely inside, he gave the signal and five more large, burly men came inside, all carrying small, effective guns. Luis, however, did not carry a gun. He instead held a tranquilizer. He did not want his prey dead, after all, but the weaponry was necessary just in case this got out of hand. Luis may be an evil man, but he was not risky. Caution was underrated.

Once all his men were behind him, he led the way throughout the house. First they came upon Lisa's room. She was sound asleep, not expecting a thing. This made her soon-to-be-attacker smile with terrible glee. Surprise attacks were the most fun. Seeing the startled looks upon his prey's faces when he found them was priceless. Shock and alarm were first on their faces, and then followed by terror. That was best.

Because he had put so much time into planning this attack, he wanted to be sure that he surprised Lisa real good.

So, gesturing to his men to be completely silent, he snuck over to Lisa's side and bent over her ear, whispering, "Lise…"

He had to hold in his laughter as a smile came to her lips. She moved only a bit, but did not awaken.

Oh, this was too priceless. The poor little wench had fallen for the assassin. Maybe Jack's charm did precede himself. Not a complete surprise, but a little shock that it had actually worked on a girl whom he had previously tried to kill.

But now the time for games was at an end and Luis pulled out his knife from his boot and brought the flat edge to Lisa's throat. The cold metal immediately brought the girl to awareness, and she looked frantically around at all the men. Then her gaze rested upon Luis and started to thrash, but the knife stilled her.

"Shh, gorgeous," he whispered sickly. "If you don't move, I might not kill you."

She stared at him, at first her eyes frightened, but then, seeming to remember herself, her eyes hardened.

"What the hell do you want?" she spat, not caring that her life rested in this man's hands.

"Now, now, _Lise_," he said, making the nickname sound like an insult. "You wouldn't want Jack to come running in here, would you?"

She glanced up at the door. It was then that she noticed that all the men were holding guns, and all of them were pointing right at the door, where, if Jack came in, he would be shot on the spot.

"No…"

Luis smiled at her anguish. "Oh yes. Your precious little Jack gets killed. Oh, so sad." He feigned a sound that sounded as though he was crying. But then he pressed the knife even harder against Lisa's throat. "Now, you will do exactly as I say, little girl."

He took her silence as an agreement. "You will mention none of this Jack. You will go on as nothing has happened. After all, I know how good of a little actress you are." The implication to the Red Eye did not go unnoticed by Lisa. "And I believe I can put these skills to a use that Jackson could not. I want you to be a pawn for me. Don't get offended, dear," he continued when she had started at the word. "I want you to give me play-by-plays on what he is doing, when he is doing it, where he is doing it. And I want you to break his little heart. Now, don't pretend that you don't know how he feels about you. We both know that he wouldn't do this," he gestured at the house, "for just anybody. I want you to lead him on, and then crush him. I want his life to be miserable. I want you to make him believe that you love him, and then lead him to me. Can you do that?"

Lisa gulped. She looked Luis hard in the eye, her own glistening. "Now why would I do that for you?"

"Ah yes," he replied, placing a mocking finger on his chin, thinking. "What could I give you for incentive? Well, let's just start off with your father's life, all your friend's lives, Jack's life… but not your life. No, I will not threaten that. Because, well, I think you would find life much more upsetting when all your friends are dead, and, when you try to make new ones, they just... let's just say they _disappear_. Understand?"

Lisa took in a few deep breaths. God, she hated this man. He knew that she would have no choice in the matter. She would have to do as he asked. There was no way around it. He knew that she had a soft spot for people. Stupid, stupid people.

For her response, however, she only gave him a glare full of the hatred she felt right then and there. And it must have been a sufficient answer, for he then smiled at her knowingly, his eyes full of mocking laughter.

"Good, good. I am glad to see that we have come to an understanding." He gave an ironic bow. "Now, if you would excuse us, my fair lady, I believe that you have a job to do."

Then he left, followed by each of his men. Lisa only stared up at the ceiling feeling, for once in her life, very lost.

_**A/N: **Sorry about the wait, but I just got caught up in summer boredom. : )_

_But anyway, I finally have a pretty good outline for this story, so (hopefully) you guys should see updates more often._

_Please let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter, no matter how short it was!_

_Much, much love,_

_E. Ll_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The next morning, Lisa got out of bed, feeling tired, worried, and afraid. After Luis came into her room, she had not gone back asleep. It wasn't so much that she was afraid they would return, but she had a lot on her mind and her brain just wouldn't shut down for sleep. She wanted to tell Jack everything that had happened, but she knew that she couldn't. Luis would somehow find out, one way or another. And if he knew she was tricking him… Lisa shook her head. She couldn't risk it.

That morning at breakfast, Lisa ate in silence, trying hard not to look at Jack, afraid that her countenance might betray her.

"You're awfully silent this morning, Lise. Where's your usual garrulity?" Jack asked as he took a sip of orange juice.

She swallowed hard. "Just thinking, that's all."

"About what?" he asked.

"Nothing."

He chuckled softly. "What a typical answer."

Lisa didn't respond. Even though she knew that she should, she just felt like even if she tried to talk, Luis would somehow pop up in the conversation. She could pretend with Jack, that was easy enough, or at least it had been. She didn't know if she could pull it off again. Now that he knew her so well, he would probably be able to see right through her. Still, if she wanted to lower any suspicions, she had better try to be her normal self.

"It's just that everything has been so crazy, and it's a lot to take in, I guess. That's all."

Jack nodded his head in understanding. "It's a tough life to get used to, I know. But it'll get better once we're free from the company."

"But how will we get free? They'll never stop chasing us."

He looked at her hard, his gaze making her uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat, waiting for the answer.

"I know you don't like killing, Lisa," explained Jack, "but I am going to take out these guys, one way or another. I plan on going to meet up with some old friends of mine and together make a plan. They hate the company as much as I do, and I'm sure they'll be of some help."

Lisa flicked her eyes sideways, then looked back at him. "Where do your friends live?"

"Edinburgh."

"As in the capital of Scotland?" asked Lisa, slightly smiling. She pictured his friends as imminent men, full of stature and pride, and for some reason, she just didn't picture them living in a place like Scotland. But she supposed living in an unordinary location would have its benefits.

"Yes, Scotland," replied Jack, smirking.

"When are you going?"

"We," emphasized Jack, "are leaving the day after tomorrow."

"That soon?"

"Well it won't take long for Luis to find us," Lisa nearly choked on her juice, "and we have been here too long already. It is time for us to move on."

Lisa rubbed her forward, trying to keep it together. She knew that with Jack trusting her so completely that he would tell her everything. And she would have to, in turn, tell Luis everything, the ultimate act of betrayal. She felt horrible; she couldn't handle it. Being one of the toughest things to do, she wondered if she would be able to pull it off. Still, she knew that she had to.

Forcing a smile, she said, "I've never been to Scotland. It should be a great adventure!"

However, Jack did not return the smile. Lisa was acting too strange, and he pondered what could have happened. He knew that she wasn't planning on telling him anything; she would have done so already. Perhaps with a little bit of conniving, he could get it out of her. He hated doing such a thing to her – they were becoming a great pair – but whatever it was was deeply troubling her, and he needed to unravel the mystery.

Taking another long sip of his juice, he looked at her over the rim of the cup. He would find out what was troubling her, what was causing that deep furrow in her brow – and he would conquer it.

**_A/N:_** _Ahhhhhhhhh... Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh... Um, hi. My name is E. Ll, just in case you forgot! I know it has been nearly a year since my last update! (Mind boggles.) Crazy! Insane! And i know it is short... very short... very very short... but it was all I could think of in this long March month. But i hope you liked anyway, and please review... maybe it will give me some inspiration to actually update again! Wouldn't you like that??_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Times change and people change. Lisa knew those two matters to be true, on some occasions, but she never thought that one of those rare occasions would be in Jackson Rippner. When she first met him, he was an assassin, and though he still was, in a sense, he was not out to kill her, which was a strange notion in and of itself. Where things had changed, she sure didn't know. Italy was the best way to describe it and put a finger on it.

While Jack was away doing preparations for their leave to Scotland, Lisa made contact with Luis by text message. It was the simplest and fastest way to accomplish what he wanted. All she sent was, "_Edinburgh, Scotland. Leaving tomorrow by plane._"

Despite herself, she thought it was ironic that they would be travelling by plane together. After all, the last time that had happened, he had tried to kill her, and she had stabbed him in the throat with a pen. She mused now what would happen this time around since they were on good terms.

Her eyes shifted downward as she thought of what she would have to do to him. She really didn't want to break his heart; he was a genuinely good guy who held her best intentions at heart. Inside, she knew that it must be hard for him to open up to someone so truthfully and trust them. In order to break his heart… well, she wasn't quite sure if she could do it or not. He was turning into her friend, and Lisa did not stab her friends in the back; never.

She sighed. Somehow, someway, she would find a way out of this mess, and Luis Armano could count on it.

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The next day, Lisa and Jackson boarded the plane for Scotland. The entire time, Lisa kept looking over her shoulder, expecting someone to jump out and kill them on sight, but nothing happened.

Jack noted her paranoid behavior and wondered if it was just because of their last plane ride or if it was something more. Given their past couple of days together, he guessed something more. Lisa wasn't a frightened little mouse anymore, and it would take a lot more than him on a plane to get her antsy like this.

"Feeling alright, Lise?" he asked.

He noticed the slight jump before she answered with a plastered smile, "Yeah, just great."

"Not expecting anything?" he questioned, eyebrows raised knowingly.

Lisa swallowed. "What? Oh no. I always get jumpy before flights, that's all."

He chuckled – but only outwardly. "And I suppose I am the one to thank for that?"

"Damn right."

_Well_, Jack thought, _at least she still has a sense of humor._ That was good.

After they boarded the plane and were in their seats, Lisa still sat there, deer-eyed look and all, expecting something horrible to happen at any moment: a gunshot to Jackson's head, a sudden explosion in the cockpit, hell, she even expected there to be a horde of snakes hidden in someone's suitcase.

_This is ridiculous,_ she thought, groaning.

Jack looked at her, concerned.

She forced a smile. "Just waiting for the turbulence."

He pursed his lips and nodded knowingly. She sure was in the habit of lying lately. Now he knew for certain that something was up. And he also knew that it had something to do with a certain group of assassins. They were either on to them, or had gotten Lisa to tell them something she didn't want known. Maybe possibly both. Whichever of said options it was, Jack was determined to have Lisa protected at all costs; she was not a liability.

At last the plane had leveled out, and they were now, "Free to move about the cabin," as told by the intercom.

However, Lisa did not relax.

No smile.

No sigh of relief.

Nothing.

"Really, Lisa," he said at last. "What is bothering you?"

She did not look at him. "Nothing."

"Did I do something?"

"No."

He sighed his frustration.

"This is getting old." He pushed the button for the flight attendant. He needed a drink, and badly.

"I can't tell you," she said in such a quiet, mumbled voice, that Jackson was unsure if she had even spoken. But he knew she did.

"Why?"

Her eyes shifted around. He could note her fear and unease quite easily. "Just know that I _can't_."

He eyed her skeptically. "Then how can I trust you?"

"There is no way you can," she said, her nearly breaking voice betraying how she felt.

"Well just know that I do."

She groaned. Ah, damn. Now she was in real trouble. And not just with the assassins, but with herself too. Lisa knew that Jackson viewed them as friends, and she did too, but at the same time, she almost wished they didn't.

Then she wouldn't be in this predicament.

She would be safe at home in bed.

She wouldn't have to break someone's trust.

And she would never have given Jackson a chance.

_But is that really what you want?_ A voice in the back of her head asked.

Yes, yes it is, she tried to assure herself. But she knew it wasn't true. She knew that somehow, somewhere along the way, Jack had grown on her. She couldn't see her life without him in it, and it pained her to even think of it. Still, no matter how her heart told her she felt, her mind wouldn't let that happen. She had a job to do, if she could call it that, and if she fell for the guy involved, there was no telling how much heartache they would both feel.

She knew what she had to do for the safety of those she loved.

_But_, her mind still whispered, _what if Jack is the one you care about the most?_

_**A/N:** Mwahahahahaha! At long last, maybe, just maybe, some feelings for the other are revealed? Hmm? Now what is Lisa going to do?_

_All these questions are…. NOT going to be answered in the next chapter. Duh. Then there would be no story left to tell!_

_But there will be some action – fights and stuff – in the next chapter when they get to, dun dun dun, Scotland!_

_Thanks for all the encouragement!_

_E. Ll_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15**_

They got to Scotland safely and soundly, and it was a beautiful spring day. There were rolling green hills everywhere, wooden fences, stock animals behind them, and, after going through the city, there was an occasional cottage situated off the side of the road.

Lisa had never been to Scotland before, and she was entranced by the beauty of it, of how the sky was cloudy, and yet it still seemed bright. If she were here under different circumstances, then she would have insisted upon sight-seeing. However, she and Jackson had no time to waste. Wherever he was taking them, he had to do it fast; Luis would surely be right on their tails, and although Lisa wasn't sure what he wanted, she knew that she and Jack needed some help.

The pulled into a littler dirt driveway on the outskirts of Glasgow, and up ahead was a tiny cottage like the ones they had passed earlier. There was a dark, wooden fence surrounding it, and the cottage itself was made of stone with tiny, creeping vines over the outside. In the back yard, there was a stunning garden, with multi-colored flowers, and green plants, all still wet from the morning's dew.

After getting over the initial wonder of the place, Lisa pouted and looked over at Jack, who was just getting out of the car.

Quickly, she followed suit, and then said, "I thought we were getting help."

Lisa glanced over her shoulder and noted the address, then followed Jackson to the door.

"We are," he said simply as he pounded once on the door.

"Assassins? Assassins live here?" she whispered.

However, her curiosity and amazement would go unchecked because at that moment, the door opened and a tiny woman stood before them.

Lisa's head fell to the side. "Jackson… you cannot be serious. Her?"

Jack paid her no mind, and the woman only gave her a one quick look. "Hey Matilda, is your husband here?"

She gave a curt nod. "Viceroy!"

"What!" a shout sounded from within.

"You have visitors!"

"Ah, shit! They got guns?"

The stout woman eyed them warily. "It's Jackson."

Silence. "Answer the question!"

"Yes, I have a gun, but not to use on you," replied Jackson, stepping inside. He walked silently over to the base of a ladder in the far corner and looked up it into the loft.

Up there was a man about forty, a scruffy beard, but no mustache, and short cropped brown hair. There were black smudges on his face and hands from his work, and his eyes were a sparkling green.

Seeing the newcomer, Viceroy said in a think Scottish accent, "Hello, Jackson."

Jack nodded. "Viceroy. How nice to see you."

Viceroy scoffed as he wiped his hands and face clean. "I would say the same to you, but the last time I saw you, a got shot in the leg, stabbed in the arm, and received a nice broken nose." He climbed down from the ladder and stood next to Jack. "Please don't tell me you need my help again."

"Actually," began Jackson, but then Viceroy's eyes found Lisa, and he got this sudden look as if he wanted to punch him.

Viceroy turned to look at Jack. "A girl? Hell, man. You do need help, huh?"

Lisa shot them both a nasty glare before she turned and went back outside.

Once outside, all Lisa could here were slightly muffled voices from inside. Honestly, she didn't really care what they were discussing. Jack knew what he was doing, and Lisa was sure that they didn't need her help. She was helping enough, she supposed.

Taking out her phone, she texted Luis and told him the location of the house and the name of the man inside. She placed the phone back in her pocket, but she soon had to take it out again because she felt it vibrating. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the phone. '_One new message_.' There was only one other person who had this number. With shaking fingers, she opened the phone and read the message, '_Keep them there at all costs_.'

Lisa sighed. This was just fantastic.

She quietly went into the house and found the wife in the living room, reading a book. Lisa approached her and the woman looked up.

"Do you think that you could maybe prepare some lunch? We never had any breakfast," Lisa said with a sad smile.

The woman nodded her head. "Certainly. I just went to the store the other day so we are well-stocked."

She went into the kitchen with Lisa following a close distance behind.

"Sandwiches okay?" she asked.

Lisa nodded her head.

As the woman prepared the meal, she said, "The name's Mary, by the way. Been married to Viceroy, the old brute, for twenty years now. Been through a helluva lot with him, always getting into trouble." She glanced up. "How long have you and Jackson been together?"

Lisa blushed. "Oh, no, we're not together."

Mary's eyes widened. "Well, with the way he's been looking at you, I'm sure that will change quickly enough."

"What do you mean?"

The woman laughed. "Oh, he's been glancing at you ever since you walked through the door. Jackson's always been a rough man, but his eyes soften with one look at you, miss."

"It's Lisa," she said. "The name's Lisa."

"Ah, okay, a name to go with the face."

Lisa nodded and a comfortable silence fell between them.

"You've brought trouble here today, haven't you?"Mary asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

Mary nodded at the men. "Trouble. There's going to be some trouble around here."

"Oh, no, I don't think…" she started, but then she looked over at them, and they were pulling out guns, putting them together, and setting up the appropriate ammunition.

She bowed her head.

"I've had to deal with enough gun wounds in my life," Mary said. "Well, the food's ready, if you want it."

Hungrily, Lisa snatched up the turkey sandwich and began eating.

Just as she was nearly done, Jack came running in.

"We have company."

Lisa and Mary rushed to the window and looked outside. Sure enough, there were five SUV's lining the driveway. The doors opened up and out stepped twenty men, all carrying guns. Somewhere in the middle, Lisa recognized Luis Armano, and at that precise moment, she had never hated a man more than him.

The two women moved away from the window and turned to Jack and Viceroy, who were preparing their guns, strapping extra ammunition to their belts and around their chests.

Mary ran into the other room and picked a gun as well, and Viceroy followed her and tried to snatch the gun away.

"Mary, you are not fighting in this. I won't have you get hurt," he said softly.

Mary cocked the gun. "Well, I am not standing aside like some useless girl! You are outnumbered and outgunned; you can use all the help you can get." She picked up another gun and tossed it over to Lisa. "She's helping too."

For the first time that day, Lisa and Jack locked eyes. Still with her eyes on him, she, too, cocked the weapon. "I'm in."

Jackson smirked at her. "Five of their men are equal to one of us." He turned and looked at Viceroy. "I say we are evenly numbered."

Viceroy smirked as well. "Well then, let's give 'em hell!"

Jackson and Viceroy went to two separate windows that were in the front of the house. They put their M107 .50 Caliber Long Range Sniper Rifles up in the windows discreetly. The men were moving around the house, setting up a perimeter. With a hand gesture, Jackson motioned for Lisa to go up into the loft.

She climbed up the ladder just as she heard two gunshots go off, which she knew came from the rifles.

Lying on her belly, Lisa looked out the tiny 5x12 inch outlook in the loft. She could see five men from her position. Slowly, she raised her gun, aimed, and fired. She did a quick round on the five men, but only hit three of them, those falling dead. The other two, however, returned fire, and she had to get out of the loft in order to avoid the bullets.

She reloaded the .45 caliber Smith and Wesson, and then joined Mary at the back door.

Soon enough, there was return fire from the remaining thirteen men in retaliation for the three deaths brought upon by Lisa and the four deaths by Jackson and Viceroy at the windows. They all took cover behind setup, thick wooden boxes, and waited for the fire to cease.

Occasionally, Jackson or Viceroy would pop up and fire some shots, hitting and killing more men with their handguns; their aim couldn't have been truer.

At last, the gunfire ceased, and they heard a voice yell, "People, people. I don't want to hurt any of you. Just hand over Jackson and this can all be settled peacefully; we won't have to raid the house, we won't have to kill anyone, we won't have to capture anyone. Can't we just have a peaceful transaction?"

There was a gunshot and the man standing next to Luis fell dead. He looked down in disgust at the body. "You have killed half of my men. What more do you want?"

The other man standing next to him got shot as well. Luis sighed. "All right then, you have chosen your fates."

Then he snapped his fingers, and then the big gun came out: the M20B1 Rocket Launcher, aka the Super Bazooka.

Immediately upon seeing it, both Jack and Viceroy ran to the back door with the two girls.

"We have to get out of here," Jack said, looking out the door. He noted that there were now three men back there.

"We are going to run out, and Viceroy and I will take down the guys."

After he received consenting nods, he kicked open the back door and went out firing. A few shots came his way, too, but they all missed, and then it was over.

The three men were down, but then the bazooka went off. The entire cottage burst into pieces, and the four of them were flown down onto the ground, Viceroy covering Mary for safety and Jackson covering Lisa.

After the explosion, a giant cloud of smoke covered them all, causing them to choke and cough. They rose to their hands and knees slowly, wiping dust off of their faces and hair.

But then they heard the cocking of pistols, and they all looked up, eyes watery from the smoke.

They were surrounded by Luis and his men, held at gunpoint. Having no choice, they surrendered.

_**A/N**__: Look at me go! 3 ½ pages! Aren't you all happy? The fight scene was a little short, but really, how much can be done with four people and guns? Hmm?_

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it, and thank you so so much for the reviews! Even through all of my elongated absences, you all have stuck with me. Thank you!_

_Much nice, happy, compassionate love,_

_E. Ll_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 16**_

Lisa wasn't tied up. Technically, she had held up her end of the bargain and was a free woman. She still had to stick around, however, and was not free to go, because she still had one tiny little thing to do: break Jackson's heart. Although she wasn't positive that this could be done, Luis assured her that it was.

"You have yet to learn all the aspects of Jack," Luis had said, "and I can tell by the acts he has done for you that this betrayal of yours will hurt him."

Still, Lisa wasn't convinced.

But as she stood before Jack, just as he was awakening from his unconsciousness, Lisa knew that she was about to find out for sure.

After being capture, Luis had thrown Mary in a cell, Viceroy in another cell, and had tied Jackson to a chair where he was then beaten. Only now, nearly six hours after their capture, was he awakening. He never once screamed out of pain, never once asked for it stopped, but instead took it with a defiant smirk; typical Jackson, proud as always.

He groaned as his head lolled to the side and then straightened. His eyes found their focus and then fell on Lisa. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into his sharp eyes and found that tears were beginning to prickle in her own. She couldn't do this; she just couldn't.

They were in a tiny, steel room. Lisa stood in the back, by the only door, while Jack, on the chair, was placed in the center under one bright light. Against the glare, he could hardly make her out, but he knew it was her; he just knew it.

As Lisa stood there, nearly unable to stand, taking in one deep breath at a time, the door opened and in stepped Luis. His eyes looked between the beaten Jack and the trembling Lisa.

His smile of triumph was undeniable.

"So, Jack, how are you finding my accommodations?"

Jack coughed up blood and then spit it unceremoniously to the floor. "I've had better."

Luis guffawed. "I'm sorry to hear they are not to your liking. However, I am sure that you recognize our third guest?" Jack's eyes fell once more on Lisa. "And I believe she has some news she would like to share with you."

Luis stepped to the side of the room and leaned casually against the wall. His glare seemed to burn holes into Lisa as she tried to find her voice.

"I-I..." she stuttered. She shook her head and her messy curls fell around her face. "I'm sorry, Jackson."

Jack shook his head. "It's not your fault."

"Au contraire," interjected Luis. He moved next her Lisa and snaked his arm around her. "She's been working for me this entire time, haven't you, my little peach?"

Lisa grimaced and tried to move away from him. Jackson was silent.

"Nothing to say to this conniving bitch?" he said as his hold on her tightened.

"No." Jack's eyes were narrowed and focused.

"So you don't care that she betrayed you?"

"No."

"You don't care whatsoever that she tricked you, lied to you, manipulated you, and seduced you?" Luis's voice was still light and almost playful. He was enjoying this.

Through grimaced teeth, "She is nothing to me. Nothing."

Luis's eyebrows raised in immediate understanding. "So you think I am going to harm her because she means something to you? Wrong again, Jackson. I am going to let her go free. Because she has been working for me."

"Prove it. Let her go," challenged Jack.

Sardonically, Luis thought it over. "I don't think so. First, I need what I want." A pause. "Where's the money, Jackson."

"I don't know what you're talking about –"

_Smack_. Jack felt fresh blood trickling down his lip.

"Wrong answer. Try again," sneered Luis.

Lisa could do nothing but watch. She didn't know whether or not Jack believed she was working for Luis. Surely, he must. How else would –

Then it all clicked in her brain. Jack was distracting Luis. He was trying to get her to do something, to prove herself loyal. He still trusted her. She suddenly felt an onslaught of emotions. How could he still trust her, be a friend to her, after what she had done? He still had faith in her loyalty and their friendship, and she needed to act fast.

"The money, Jack," breathed Luis, mere inches from said prisoners face.

"I don't have any of your money, Luis," said Jack through clenched teeth.

After the answer, Luis lunged forward and punched Jackson in the stomach, and that was when Lisa saw it: a gun tucked into the back of Luis's pants. All she had to do what get a hold of it, and then the situation would flip entirely.

From behind, she tentatively approached Luis. She reached her hand out, but then learned that that was the worst possible route to take. Sensing her behind him, Luis swung around and leading with his arm, struck Lisa right across the face. She flew back into the wall, and her head hit the steel with a resounding thunk.

"Now Lisa, really. Was that an honest attempt or are you just messing around?" questioned Luis as he advanced on her. She stayed silent and only looked at him with wide eyes."I know you saw the gun on my back. Did you plan on shooting me, Lisa?" he questioned his arms wide. "Well, here I stand!"

"Not for long," a quiet voice said behind him. Luis only saw Jackson for a moment before Jack brought the butt of the gun up and struck Luis across the face. Luis spun around and lost his balance for a moment, stumbling. Soon enough he was standing right on his feet, and then he focused his eyes on Jack and pointed a finger.

"What the...?" Then Luis laughed. "Kill me, Jackson. I deserve it for being so stupid."

Jackson cocked the gun and pointed it right at Luis's head. "Exactly what I was thinking."

The shot resounded around the room just as the sound of Luis's dead body did hitting the floor.

All Lisa could do was stand there. She was too shocked to even believe that that was all there was to it. Sure, Jackson was trained in this sort of thing – killing swiftly – but she had never actually been in such a life threatening situation which was ended so efficiently. Her eyes remained on the dead body on the floor, the blood from his head creating a sickening pool around him. The room began to smell of guts and human waste but still they both remained still.

Lisa could feel Jack's eyes on hers, but she still kept her eyes downcast on the body.

"You did good, Lisa," Jackson said softly.

Lisa nodded her head, acknowledging that she had heard him, but her eyes did not move.

"He never even noticed you slide the knife to me. He kept all his attention on you after you gave a sad attempt to take his gun. I don't think he ever even noticed the knife that set me free."

At last, she looked up at him. "Is this it then?"

As walked over to her, he said, "Well, we still have to get out of here, but without their leader, I think the Black B's will be at somewhat of a loss. It will be a microcosm of Civil War, I'd say."

Lisa pursed her lips. "But are we safe?"

Somehow Jack still managed to find the humor in the situation and laughed. "You're with me Lisa." He cocked the gun. "And I am well-armed. Who's more dangerous than that?"

_**A/N**__: Only one or two more chapters I'd say! It's been a crazy long journey, and I am so grateful that you have all stuck with this story and my long lapses of writing._

_Love, simple as that,_

_E. Ll_


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It was a different life now that they were free from running. Lisa was so used to the life of terror that she had been living that now and again, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder. But every time she did, there was never anything there. In a sense, she felt safe, but such a feeling was new to her.

Jackson quit working for his other company. He still found joy in torturing people, but there was no point in it anymore since he had more than enough money and he had Lisa to look out for; that in and of itself was a full-time job.

Following Jackson's actions, Lisa decided to leave her work, too. There was no need for her to work when she could be off travelling the world – a pastime she had never been able to do before.

Although they saw each other every day, Lisa and Jackson weren't technically "in a relationship". Neither of them ever mentioned it, and that was because each one thought that the other only wanted to be friends and nothing more. Until one day, Jackson finally confronted the situation.

They were sitting in a café in London. The sun was shining brightly above them in the morning sky, a nice change from the usually rainy days of this season. Lisa sipped on her coffee, reading the newspaper, and Jackson stared at her. He found himself doing that often, not only because she was gorgeous, but also because she was always unpredictable and in the blink of an eye she could be changing.

Noting his stare, she said, "Like what you see?"

Jackson smirked. "You have no idea."

Lisa chuckled softly and placed down the paper. "Then why don't you tell me."

Although she was smiling, he looked at her seriously. "Is that really what you want?"

Lisa shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think we need to fool each other."

Jackson cocked an eyebrow, ushering her forward to an explanation. "Well, obviously you have feelings for me."

He had to hold in laughter at the playful look on her face. "Oh?"

She gave one nod. "Oh yes. And it really is quite sad how far you've fallen."

Jackson brought a hand to his chest and feigned hurt pride. "You seem to always peg me so correctly. But, I would also have you note that you feel the same for me."

Instead of answering, Lisa only looked at him, and slowly the smile on his face fell off to.

"Like I said," continued Lisa, "we need not fool each other or ourselves."

Although this is what Jackson had hoped for, it still caught him off guard and caused his throat to go dry.

"What now, then?" he managed to ask.

She leaned forward and smirked. "We go wherever the wind takes us."

Jackson laughed. "Cheesy, but I'll take it."

She swatted him with her newspaper. "You had better."

Leaving the café, they tentatively reached for others hand, held them for a moment, and then let go, chuckling.

"That was weird," said Lisa still smiling.

Jackson snaked an arm over her shoulders. "All in good time."

As they continued walking down the road, Lisa said, "Yes, who would have ever imagined that I would end up falling for the man who had once tried to kill me."

Jackson laughed but held her tighter. "It'll be a great story to tell the kids."

Lisa stopped. "Who said we're having kids?"

"Well I just assumed…"

"Maybe too far –"

"Well don't you want kids?"

"Well of course I do, but –"

"They are no 'buts' connected to that statement."

"I'll connect whatever I want!"

"And the bickering begins…"

"It never stopped."

"Will it ever?"

"No."

Sigh. "What a life."

_Fin._

_Or is it?_

**A/N: well, short, but it is here! The final chapter, or rather piece, of this story. Hope you enjoyed the ride, and thank you all so so much for sticking with me!**

**Continuing her eternal love,**

**E. Ll**


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